


Much Ado About Drabbles

by xtrachocolatechips



Category: Game Grumps
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Angst, Bisexual Character, Cuddling & Snuggling, Drabble Collection, Drunken Shenanigans, First Dates, First Kiss, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Sexual Content, Love Confessions, M/M, Massages, Miscommunication, Multi, Polyamory, Prompt Fill, Sickfic, Sleepy Cuddles, Slow Dancing, Stress Relief, blood warning, emetophobia warning
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-29
Updated: 2015-10-12
Packaged: 2018-04-17 20:58:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 9,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4681253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xtrachocolatechips/pseuds/xtrachocolatechips
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of shipgrumps prompt fills/drabbles I've written from tumblr! New tags are added with each chapter.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> mostly just posting this to have a place where i can keep these all together.
> 
>  **Drabble—** _**Ninja Ship Party**_

It’s 1AM, and Dan can’t sleep.

The next time he wakes up, the bedroom is entirely dark save for the bluish glow of Brian’s laptop screen illuminating the part of the room in which he is hunched over a small stack of ungraded papers on his desk. Dan’s eyes glide over him sleepily, from the tips of the faint graying hairs on his head to the curve of his backside as it occasionally presses forward in his chair whenever he strains to better read papers. Then, very quietly, Dan gradually emerges from underneath the covers to wobble over to where his boyfriend is.

Apparently Brian does not have to look back to know that the other is approaching him, because he slowly sits up and gently pats Dan’s arms when they wound themselves around his neck. 

“Bri,” Dan starts, breath hot on his ear. Brian can hear the sheer tiredness in his voice and it makes him smile a little.

“Danny,” Brian returns, rubbing absently at one of his boyfriend’s hands, “it’s late.”

“I know. The bed felt really cold and gross without you in it.”

Brian’s soft laugh rumbles deep in his chest; Dan takes it as a good sign to stand and lazily pull back at his chair, then trudge over to plop down in his lap. The physicist makes a small noise at the added weight before quickly gathering Dan’s arms to wrap them around his neck again. With his head pressed to him, Dan turns slightly to nuzzle in his chest. 

“I have just a few papers left, and I’ll be there in a sec.” He strokes his fingers through Dan’s unruly, pony-tailed hair. “Sorry I’m taking so long.”

“Mmn.”

“Are you gonna fall asleep on me like this?”

“…You’re really warm.”

Brian just shakes his head. He keeps one hand rested on the small of the other’s back and picks up his pen so he can finish his work, all the while carefully maneuvering around Dan in the process. Their position initially makes it difficult, but after they shift a little to their leisure, it becomes easier for Brian to balance both cuddling his boyfriend and grading papers at the same time. 

Dan is half-awake, so he’s unable to register everything that is not Brian or Brian’s warmth. He sometimes opens his eyes just a bit to look up and watch him, and maybe it’s because he’s delusional with drowsiness, but he swears that the striking blue of Brian’s eyes reflect like stars in the dark of their room.

He doesn’t remember feeling compelled to tell him this at all yet ends up doing so anyway, and Brian responds with that odd, quiet chuckle of his. “Do you know how drunk you sound right now?”

“’m not joking.” His words are indeed considerably slurred with sleep, “Dude, your eyes are super pretty.”

“You’re adorable.” Brian finishes the last of his papers with a tiny, inward sigh, places his reading glasses and pen off to the side, and closes his laptop. Then, with one hand tucked firmly under Dan’s rear, he stands with the other curled in his hold, almost like a baby. “You’re also really heavy.” Dan gives out a moan in reply, too exhausted to think of a witty comeback.

When Brian carefully moves them into their bed, he makes sure to treat Dan as delicately as possible, pulls him close once they’re both submerged under the covers. As soon as Dan’s comfortably nestled into Brian he is prepared for deep slumber, and the physicist suddenly leans over to whisper something to him and Dan’s already prepared to answer “I love you too,” but instead Brian murmurs,

“…Did you just fart?”

“Oh my  _God_ , dude—"


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based off this tumblr prompt: “I can’t tell whether this is a date because you asked to see a movie but I’m still not sure you’re queer, and I’m toeing the line because maybe you’re just trying to make friends.”
> 
>  **Drabble—** _**Razzabang**_

_[TEXT: BEAR-Y] what do you mean you don’t know if he’s bi or not???  
_

_[TEXT: BEAR-Y] you guys are on a date right???  
_

_[TEXT: ARIN] dude I’m not even sure if this was ever a date in the first place_

Barry then glances over to where Dan is poised on the edge of his seat, and feels something in his stomach crumple a little in disappointment. The other’s got his eyes glued to the cinema screen, has his hands clenched tightly around his jumbo-sized coke, breath held in eagerly in anticipation. In short: he is extremely cute, and Barry is extremely confused. 

Just a day prior, the other had approached him in between classes to ask him out to see a movie with him the next day, and Barry could barely even contain himself when agreeing to do so; he’d developed a habit of getting butterflies in his stomach whenever he was around Dan ever since they were lab partners in freshman biology together. Flash forward two years later, and suddenly the illustrious Dan Avidan was asking him out on a  _date_. 

At least, that’s what he thinks it’s supposed to be.

The further the evening has proceeded, however, Barry has become less and less sure if Dan is even into dudes.

And, to be fair, he hasn't been on a lot of dates before, so he isn’t totally accustomed to how they usually work out, but halfway through their time together, it slowly dawns on Barry that he’s only ever seen Dan with girls before. In addition, the manner in which Dan had asked to go out with him had been incredibly vague, and during the whole time, not  _once_ had he reached out to flirt with Barry— the overtly flirtatious behavior that Dan’s flounced around other girls he’s been with in the past makes Barry question why he hasn’t been acting in the same way around  _him_. 

Lastly, there’s always the possibility that Barry is overthinking it all, but his anxiety quickly rules out that idea. And so here he sits, quietly accepting the fact that Dan has taken him out for the night to see the new Transformers movie with no romantic motives or intent—just for a night to be bros.

He’s not as discreet when hiding his phone between his thighs the next time it buzzes with Arin’s texts, and when Danny breaks away from the screen to look at him, he’s adorning a slightly hurt expression that instantly makes Barry hate himself for not being more careful.

“Sorry, is the movie boring you?” Dan whispers, oh so sincere.

Barry merely smiles and shakes his head. “No, it’s super cool— my brother just keeps blowing up my phone about something really stupid.“

“That’s why they tell you to silence your cellphone, man,” he says while mustering a tiny grin, and then they’re both cut off by an angry audience member from behind, who shushes them and effectively ends their conversation.

 

xXx

 

The ride home from the theater is mostly quiet in contrast to the minimal conversation they’d made on the way there. Dan had picked Barry up in his old, red pickup, and they’d previously passed the time by talking about how fucking shitty the music playing on the radio was. Now, however, Dan turns the volume on his sound system down until nothing’s playing at all, and eventually they end up just sitting there in silence— Dan with his gaze firm on the road, and Barry awkwardly fidgeting in his seat. 

It isn’t until they’ve actually pulled up to the curve in front of Barry’s house that Dan decides to speak, just as the other’s fixing to tell him goodbye whilst speeding out of his truck as fast as he can.

“So, uh…” He begins, rubbing bashfully at the back of his neck, “…sorry about the movie and stuff? I didn’t know if you’d be into that or not—“

“—Dude, it’s totally cool. I actually enjoyed it.” Not a lie, but it doesn’t change the fact that he wishes the night could’ve gone differently. “That last action sequence was rad as fuck.”

“Yeah,” Dan laughs a little but does not meet his gaze, and his hand retires to running through his mess of matted, chestnut hair, “yeah, but I feel like I should’ve asked you what you wanted to see first instead of just shoving a ticket in your face.” A pause. Barry eyes Dan precariously as he runs his fingers over the steering wheel in nervous habit. “Also… you’re a really good friend and all, and I just—I’m not really good with social stuff sometimes, you know?”

 _Friend. Social. Okay._  He nods slowly, feels a pang in his chest and his lungs deflating shortly thereafter as Dan works up the nerve to continue.

“Or like—“ Dan takes a deep breath, “—O-Or like, romantic stuff, I guess.”

 _Oh._  It’s quiet but apparently Barry’s said it aloud, because Dan is finally looking up to meet his shocked gaze. In seconds, Barry’s face has melded into a brilliant shade of red, and he’s got his fingers clenched deep at his sides into the worn, leather seat, mouth stagnant in a poignant, round “O”. Had the situation not been so delicate, Dan would probably coo at his expression, but in this context he takes it as a sign to anxiously continue on:

“It’s uh… the first time I’ve ever gone out with a guy before, and like… I was  _super_ freaking out earlier—really fucking nervous. I basically had no idea how to act today, and I’m sorry if I made that too obvious.”

And all Barry can register in his mind besides _oh my God_  is a constant stream of _is this real?'s_ , because it certainly doesn’t feel like it. He doesn’t even know whether to be happy, surprised, or embarrassed, so he appears to revel in all three emotions at once when squeaking out his forgiveness. Dan lets out a relieved sigh.

“Okay…. Okay. Thanks, B.” It was the nickname he’d given Barry when they’d worked on that one English presentation together in sophomore year. “I honest to God thought you hated me after this.”

“No, no, no,” Barry, at last, gathers the strength to fathom intelligible words while shaking his head, “no, I actually had a lot of fun. We should do it again next weekend.”

“That’s awesome, because you’re kinda cute and it would’ve totally sucked if you said otherwise.” In comes suddenly more comfortable and thus flirtatious Dan, and cue Barry quickly looking away while uttering out rushed, flustered words; Dan flushes as he laughs at his reaction.

“I’ll text you,” Dan promises after Barry has recovered from his ruffled state enough to reach for the door. He promptly wishes Dan a good night before stumbling dazedly out of his truck and into his house, and hasn’t even made it up to his bedroom yet when he fishes out his phone to type out:

_[TEXT: ARIN] dude  
_

_[TEXT: ARIN] holy shit you will not belIEVE what just fuckin g happened_


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Anonymous asked:** _**i haven't seen a lot of razzabang with emo!dan yet!**_

“You know Jon from Pre-Cal?” Suzy asks, and as she takes a moment to give herself one last once over in her hand mirror, smacking her lip gloss for extra effect, Holly pushes aside her cafeteria tray so she can lean forward on her elbows rather eagerly. 

“What about him?” She presses onward.

Suzy snaps close the mirror and shoves it back into her purse. “Well, I dunno if it’s true or not, but he told me he walked into the boy’s bathroom one day and caught the poor guy eating lunch by himself in one of the stalls. I think his name’s Barry.”

“Oh,” Holly says, disappointed, as she falls back in her seat again.  _That_ wasn’t where she was expecting that tidbit to go. Suzy was notorious for being the queen of gossip– she knew who was who, who was secretly dating who, etc. When Holly pointed out to her the quiet kid who always sat by himself two tables down from them, she was expecting Suzy to have some deep dirt on him– like he was secretly rich and didn’t want to talk to anyone because of it, or something. Holly steals a sympathetic glance at Barry, who’s hunched over his lunch. “That’s pretty sad.” 

“ _I_ heard he skips class sometimes just to play his 3DS behind the bleachers.” The girls turn to Arin as he makes his grand entrance and slides into the seat beside Suzy’s. “Ross was partners with him in Biology once and says he’s nice, just quiet.”

“He sounds like someone you’d guys get along with,” Holly tries, still hopeful for the kid, and Arin just nonchalantly shrugs before reaching over to steal one of Suzy’s fries.

They mingle a bit for a while. Then, about fifteen minutes later, a slight hush falls over their portion of the room as Dan Avidan and his illustrious posse enter the cafeteria from the entrance nearest them. 

Heads turn left and right to watch the group chatter and weave their way past tables. A few members of the close-knit troop branch off and head to the lunch line, but no one really pays attention to them because everyone’s eyes are on Dan, as per usual. Today he’s sporting a new, all-black outfit that consists of combat boots, skinny jeans, a leather jacket and a faded Nirvana T-shirt; his massive head of black-dyed curls bounces as he walks with confident swagger. Holly hears Suzy giggle about how he’s gotten a set of new ear piercings, but isn’t able to fathom a response because of what he does next.

In fact, Holly, Arin and Suzy are all rendered silent when Dan casually approaches Barry from behind and rests a hand on his shoulder. As soon as Barry looks up at Dan, his cloudy expression immediately becomes a cheery one. Some words are exchanged between the pair, and lo and behold, Dan suddenly leans down to plant a kiss on his cheek (and Holly later swears you could almost hear a pin drop right then). Then, Barry stands while Dan gathers his books and lunch tray for him. He wounds his free arm around Barry’s waist, and just like that, they’re off, with the rest of the posse still following them from about three steps behind. 

The gossip that fills the air the moment Dan’s group leaves the cafeteria is absolutely deafening, but all Holly, Arin, and Suzy can even manage are silent, shocked looks amongst themselves. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Anonymous asked:** _**could we have egobang w/ dan being drunk off his ass and arin trying to help him?**_

“You know, I think I saw this in a movie once, but I can’t for the life of me remember which one it was. But the person vomiting was this really hot chick, you know? I’m pretty sure the dude that was holding her hair back was pretty fucking hot too. So I guess that makes me the hot dude, right?”

Dan pries himself from the toilet bowl to shoot Arin a glower that reads, “ _Please_ shut the fuck up,” and Arin is soon laughing again because Dan has to quickly turn away to retch a few more times. He carefully sweeps Dan’s hair back with one hand, and gently rubs the small of his back with the other. 

“I wish you were more like Kevin,” he continues, and only grins wider when he hears Dan groan out of annoyance, “‘cause Kevin’s a fun drunk. And you’re just all gross and cranky and vomit-y.”

“Arin, I swear to God—” Dan’s interrupted by more retching, except this time something actually comes out, so Arin waits until he stills and quiets to tease him some more.

“So,” he begins after a moment, very matter-of-fact, “what did we learn today?”

Dan’s words are slurred, sloppy and incoherent, but Arin is able to decipher that he’s said something about taking too many shots, and that’s pretty sufficient enough for him. When Dan quietly assures him he feels better, Arin takes his time helping the other get back on his feet, and slowly guides him out of the bathroom and in the direction of his bedroom, silently praying to himself that Barry wouldn’t be too upset about the vomit on the carpet.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Drabble—** _**Rubberbang**_
> 
>  **Anonymous asked:** _**Rubberbang prompt: Dan get sick with a bad fever and tries not to let anyone notice but Ross finds out and takes care of him.**_

_[TEXT: NERD] Barry’s really upset w you_

_[TEXT: NERD] He says you’re acting like a baby bc you didn’t want his help earlier_

_[TEXT: ROSS] he’s just being a worry wart :P_

_[TEXT: NERD] First of all, no one except suburban mothers w three kids unironically call people that_

_[TEXT: NERD] Second, I’m driving to your place right now_

_[TEXT: NERD] I’m bringing movies >:D_

Had Dan read the last three texts Ross sent him, he would’ve protested, but he somehow managed to fall asleep before the other replied.

So, needless to say, Dan’s caught entirely off guard when he wakes up to find Ross sitting on the floor, propped up against the edge of the couch, and fast asleep.

Delirium as a result of his sickness causes Dan to process the situation very slowly. He takes his time sitting up on the couch and peels the blanket off of him, for it’s become too hot and uncomfortable to lie under. He blinks, then surveys the room.

A bowl of soup that was previously not there now sits on the coffee table. It’s not steaming so Dan just assumes it’s gone cold, which means Ross must’ve been waiting for him to wake up for quite some time. Beside the bowl is a small stack of 80s horror movies all on Blu-ray.

The living room itself has been tidied up, too— he distinctly remembers a few miscellaneous books being strewn about the floor before, but now they’ve all been placed back on the bookshelf. In the corner, he spots the vacuum cleaner from the closet now leaning against the wall, and wonders how he slept through all the noise it must’ve made.

Lastly, he looks to Ross, and something about him makes Dan’s heart leap a little. The younger male’s got his head lolled back against the cushions, mouth hanging slightly open with soft sighs that escape him. For a moment, Dan contemplates reaching for his phone to take a picture of him, but something tells him Ross would find a way to make him regret that later. So instead, he leans forward to gently prod at his shoulder.

Ross awakes with a start, jumping at the touch. He wastes no time turning to face Dan with an expression full of sunshine. “Hey, dude! You’re awake! Fucking finally. You were sleeping like a rock when I got here.” He stands to grab the soup bowl, then makes his way to the kitchen while still talking to Dan over his shoulder. “I took a picture of you while you were sleeping because you looked kinda cute.” The low whir of the microwave can be heard emitting from the other room.

Dan silently curses himself for passing up his previous opportunity. “How long have you been here?” He calls out, voice somewhat hoarse.

“It’s, uh, seven-ish now, so maybe three hours, I think!” Shortly after the microwave starts beeping, Ross returns to the living room with oven-mitt clad hands holding the bowl. “Barry gave me the spare key. He’s supposed to be doing Grumpcade shit with Arin until three in the morning, so they’re sleeping at the office tonight.” He places the bowl on the coffee table again, then stands with both hands on his hips, surveying Dan. “He’s super worried about you, dude. He was really anxious this morning, and pulled me aside to ask if I could spend the night with you.”

It’s not a lot of information to process, but again, Dan has to do so very slowly. He can’t help but feel touched at the prospect of his friends going extra lengths to make sure he’s in good health. Even though talking hurts, he manages, “You didn’t have to come—“

Ross loudly scoffs, “—Fuck you, yes I did. When I got here you were sweating, like, all over the fucking couch, and it was nasty as shit, and I had to go scour your bathroom for a clean towel to clean you up with, which was  _difficult_  because you and Barry go through like ten towels per week, which is fucking ridiculous. What the fuck. Who the fuck does that.” He shakes his head while handing Danny a spoon. “Eat your soup.”

So Dan does, albeit very quietly because he’s very weary and at the moment, Ross is a force to be reckoned with.  Ross rambles about how he cleaned up the living room, and is still afraid to look into Dan’s room in fear that it’s just as dirty. He also complains to Dan about the “bizarre” manner in which the pots and pans are organized in their cabinets, but then thanks Dan because he and Barry apparently have a plethora fun ingredients to work with in the kitchen. “It’s chicken noodle soup, by the way,” Ross informs Dan before he can even ask. “Also, don’t talk, because your voice sounds terrible.”

Ross is like a doting housewife, Dan decides. He darts around the place like he lives there, washing the dishes without effort or question, handing Dan the appropriate medicines to take, occasionally checking his temperature, refilling glasses of water for him or toweling at his forehead whenever Dan weakly asks him to. They make it halfway through Nightmare on Elm Street before Ross looks from Dan to the clock, and promptly announces that Dan should really take a shower and be heading off to bed soon. And of  _course_  Dan can’t protest because he’s in a constant state of sickly exhaustion, and besides, Freddy Krueger really isn’t as scary as he was in 1984.  

When evening showers pass (Ross has to hover around the bathroom and yell at the door twice to ask Dan if he’s drowned in the water or not), they make their way to Dan’s bedroom. Dan swears he didn’t make his bed that morning, and when he asks Ross if he did it, he gets a nonchalant, “You’re welcome,” in response. Once Dan’s eased himself under the covers and taken his medicine, Ross bids him a soft goodnight and begins to make his way toward the door.

“Wait,” Dan says, his heart thrumming in his ears.

“Yeah?” Ross has stopped in the doorway, and the light coming in from the hall hits him at a weird angle that makes him look a bit odd to Dan’s weary eyes.  

“Will you stay with me?”

Something in Ross’s face falters; he hesitates. “Uh— aren’t you, like, 56 or something?”

“If I died in my sleep, Barry would be really pissed at you.”

“True,” he says. He closes the door with one foot, and then makes his way over to creep under the covers on the other side of the bed. “But I think it’d be a lot weirder if he came in tomorrow and found us in bed together.”

“He’s seen weirder,” Dan replies. They are facing each other, and it suddenly becomes very intimate. Dan reaches out a tentative hand to ghost over the side of Ross’s face, and Ross blinks, blue eyes intent and sleepy.

“Has he ever walked in on you… you know…” Ross is 100% deadpan as he makes a jerking off motion with his hand, and then they’re both erupting into a great, prolonged fit of laughter that leaves Ross in tears and Dan with a slight cough.

Ross is beaming when Dan turns back to him after his last elbow cough. “You know what? I like delirious Danny better than normal Danny.”

“Why is that?” Dan absently drums his fingers in the curve of Ross’s waist, and Ross pays him no mind; in return, he reaches up to play with Dan’s coil-y hair.

“You talk less, and you’re just really chill.”

“Aw, dude, thanks. I’ll make sure to talk more around you as soon as I recover.”

“I thought you were gonna die in your sleep tonight, remember?”

“Shit, yeah, you’re right. Whoops.” Dan closes his eyes, and Ross giggles.

Sleepy banter fills the air for a few more minutes, but eventually starts to subside as soon as Dan quietly thanks Ross for all the help he was for the day.

“You’re welcome, you big ol’ sap,” Ross answers with a tiny grin.

Dan’s eyes flutter close. “Also…”

“Hmm?”

“…I love you.”

Ross’s stomach does frantic somersaults; his smile practically feels like it’s going to split his face into two. He leans in to press a gentle kiss on Dan’s cheek, and softly says, “I love you too,” when he draws back into the pillows for a good night’s rest.

 

xXx

 

Approximately one week later, Dan is bursting into Ross’s apartment with a bag of soup cans hanging on one arm and a stack of Michael Bay films tucked under the other. He finds the younger male in the living room, curled up in a blanket and surrounded by a sea of tissues. When Ross spots him, he shoots Dan a vehement glare and lowly bemoans, “You  _did_ this to me,” and all Dan can do is laugh as he makes his way to the kitchen, now in pursuit of preparing the other a hearty meal.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Anonymous asked:** _**Rubberbang prompt- it's winter and the heat's broken in the grump space. Since Danny and Ross have to record Steam Train, much cuddling ensues in the quest for warmth**_

Five minutes into Ross’s eloquent tirade about how the new Transformers movie was an “absolute disgrace to the franchise”, Dan just finally fucking breaks.

“How are you not  _cold_?!” Perhaps it comes off harsher than intended, because Ross looks a bit startled at first. His eyes slowly flicker to the slight trembling of Dan’s hand around the computer mouse, and then to his face, where his nose has become steeped in a brilliant shade of red.

With the AC broken in the grumpspace, the pair has bundled themselves up in blankets to shield themselves from the impact of the brutal, winter cold. This has been a satisfying fix for Ross, but for Dan, well…

A plan gradually forms in his head; Ross smiles small, and slowly shifts closer to the other. “Do you know how cranky you get when it’s cold? Shit, man.” Dan’s watching him with an exasperated expression that makes Ross giggle. “Hey, lovelies, if you’re wondering why Dan’s a snappy asshole today, the AC’s broken in the grumpspace, and Dan’s a fucking pussy who can’t handle it.”

Ross knows Dan’s about to work up a retort, so before he can manage anything else, he’s closed the gap between them by throwing off the blanket that’s curled around his shoulders and burying himself in the one around Dan’s. They wordlessly shift to their leisure until Ross is planted in his lap with both arms draped around his neck. Dan’s finally smiling again, giggling as he quietly says, “Get off of me, dude,” but he’s certainly not protesting— when Ross nuzzles in the crook of his neck, Dan can’t help but pause the game to let his free hand wander through the other’s chestnut hair. 

“Better?” Ross whispers; Dan can hear the smile in his voice, and that alone is enough to make him feel warmer.

“Better,” He affirms, reaching a greedy hand downwards to give Ross’s backside a light squeeze.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Anonymous asked:** _**Rubberbang where Ross teases Dan and gives him kisses all over, plays with his hair, and even rubs his tummy. And Dan is just extremely flustered.**_

One frequent habit of Ross’s is rambling— often, he will begin to talk about a subject he is passionate about and lose track of time doing so. That’s why he and Dan work so well together; Dan is an incredibly respectful person, and is always ready to lend Ross an intent ear.

Except when he’s working, that is.

And, granted, Ross knows when to give Dan space and let him finish his work, but tonight, he’s not having it— there’s something about the way Dan’s eyes have sunken in, something about the way his skin has slightly paled that makes Ross think that it’s time for an intervention.

They’re in bed together, and Dan has been mixing a new Starbomb song on his laptop while absently nodding and grunting in response to Ross’s eager rant about the new show he’s working on. Eventually he slowly stops talking altogether, and just examines Dan’s sleep-deprived demeanor with a disapproving look.

There’s at least a twenty second delay between when Ross falls silent and Dan finally notices. He peers up from his laptop and blinks his apologetic eyes rather tiredly. “Sorry— I kind of zoned out, but I was listening, and— ”

Ross shushes him. He doesn’t say anything as he moves over to Dan’s side, not breaking eye contact with him even once, and gently pries the laptop away from him. “No more work tonight,” is all he says, and Dan seems too tired, confused and entranced to really fight back. 

He worms his way into the slot between Dan’s arms, which wind loosely around him, and begins leaving a trail of kisses around his collarbone to the underside of his jaw. Dan, now a bit overwhelmed, tilts his head slightly and lets out a hoarse laugh, rests his hands on Ross’s waist to steady him. “Dude, I gotta finish the album. You’re being cute and it’s really distracting!”

Ross draws away to look him in the eye; Dan’s face is flushed a bright pink, and he giggles nervously at the Aussies’s unwavering gaze. Then, without warning, Ross weaves his fingers through Dan’s unruly hair, and is suddenly leaning forward again to pepper his face with kisses:

“You’re.” Kiss. “Not.” Kiss. “Working.” Kiss—  

—Dan’s laughing, pulls him closer and says, “C’mon, Ross, stop— ”

“Anymore.” Kiss. “Tonight.” A big, wet one is planted on Dan’s right cheek, and he prolongs the smacking sound for exaggeration, which makes Dan giggle about how gross he is. When he draws away for the second time, they’re both grinning wide now, and Dan just can’t stop giggling and blushing like a fool. Ross’s free hand prods a teasing finger at the tip of Dan’s nose, and the giggles increase. “Okay? You need rest. I’m worried about you.”

“Okay,” he says simply. He smiles at him for a second longer, then leans in to give Ross one last quick kiss on the lips before he turns to switch off the lamp; they’re still curled around each other when they drift into slumber a few minutes later. 


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **oldnewgrumpfan asked:** _**Rubberbang prompt Danny is tired and stressed and Ross try's to comfort him Please**_

“Hey,” Ross finally says, further opening Dan’s bedroom door a crack, “are you still working?” He’d been standing there for a few stale seconds, just watching the other.

Dan is hunched over at his desk, staring blankly at piles of crumpled up paper that have lyrics upon scratched-out lyrics on them. Both of his hands are balled into his hair in pure anxiety, and Ross can practically count the bags under his eyes. When Dan peers up at Ross, he lets go of his thick curls and leans back in his chair, smiling small. “Yeah. It’s, uh… been pretty rough.”

“Okay,” Ross says. He curls his fingers into his palms out of nervous habit. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

“Nah, dude. I’m fine, but thank you. I think I’ll figure it out eventually.” There’s a quiet moment where his gaze on Ross lingers for a bit longer than it should, and then he turns back to the crumpled up work on his desk, once again lost in thought.

He’s so lost in thought that he doesn’t hear the shuffling of cautious footsteps behind him, doesn’t expect it when Ross’s hands are on the back of his neck and shoulders, kneading into his skin in a way that almost makes Dan emit an honest-to-God moan. He drops his head back to look up at Ross, who is looking down at him with a neutral expression that’s graced with faint worry.

“ _Ross_ …” Dan says his name in a warning tone as if he’s fixing to push his hands away, but then Ross is pressing into this one knot in his right shoulder that makes him close his eyes and arch his back, and he instantly regrets ever having the thought cross his mind. 

“How about we brainstorm some more songs tomorrow, yeah?” Ross tries, and Dan responds with a firm nod before shrugging off the other’s hands, swiveling around in his chair to face him, and pulling him by the waist onto his lap so he can lavish him in kisses.  


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Anonymous asked:** _**Rubberbang prompt- Ross loves classical music, but no one really knows that. One day, Danny asks what he's listening to, and Ross has him listen to Moonlight Sonata and talks about his favorite composers.**_

At some point, Kevin suggests that it’s EDM or electronica, and everyone save for Dan seems to be satisfied with the theory. For some reason, it’s very easy for everyone to imagine Ross being an electronica type of guy.

Dan still has his doubts, though, so he approaches Ross from behind while he’s animating one day, and bluntly swivels around his chair so that he’s facing him, wireless tablet and pen still poised in both hands. He looks up at Dan and simply frowns, then pries one headphone back off of his ear. “You could just say ‘hi’, you know.”

“What are you listening to?” Dan deadpans.

“Death metal,” Ross calmly responds. “Also, I don’t know if you can tell, but I’m trying to work right now.” He turns back to his computer, and just as he does, Dan reaches out to swiftly snatch his headphones.

In the split second he realizes they’re no longer on his head, Ross angrily swivels around in his chair again, and whatever protests and obscenities he throws at Dan are drowned out by the piano that fills his ears when he puts the headphones on. 

It’s a recognizable tune _ **—**_ there’s no doubt in his mind that he’s heard the song countless times before. The melody is beautiful, but  _tragic_ , so much so that he gives Ross a curious yet concerned look. “This is really sad,” he says. 

Ross stands to ungracefully yank the headphones off of him before plopping back down in his chair. “It’s Beethoven,” he replies, as if that somehow justifies the song’s sadness.

“So you just sit here and listen to sad classical music while you work all day?” Dan refuses to leave, and leans against Ross’s desk as he turns back to face his computer for the umpteenth time. He’s urged on to bother him by the way Ross is turning a slight pink at his observations _ **—**_ was he really that embarrassed about his taste in music?

“It’s _ **—**_ It’s not all sad, dude.” He continues to work as he talks, “Have you heard, of, um, Léo Delibes?” He briefly peers up at Dan, who shakes hishead _._  “Well, he was this cool French dude who composed for a lot of operas, and he has this one really famous song called ‘Flower Duet’. You’ve probably heard that one too, because it plays in the background of movies and stuff a lot. For the most part, the song’s just really airy and pretty. It’s definitely a favorite of mine.”

“Do you have it on your phone?” 

Ross nods, still not looking up from the computer screen. 

“Can I listen to it?”

Ross looks to Dan, contemplates it for a quiet moment, then makes quick work of taking off his headphones, unplugging them and setting them to the side, then reaching for a pair of earphones that have been strewn haphazardly upon his desk. He plugs those in instead, switches to the proper song, and hands Dan one of the earbuds. Dan has to kneel by his side a bit so as not to accidentally rip out the bud in Ross’s ear. 

He gets comfortable, resting his head against his desk, and is nothing short of fascinated as Ross begins to ramble to him about his favorite composers while he works— Dan swears Ross gets this starry, faraway look in his eyes the more he speaks, so he listens to both him and the song as intently as he can, and chimes in with appropriate commentary or questions when the opportunities arise.  


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Anonymous asked:** _**um could u do a rubberbang first kiss? xxxx thnx**_

From across the room, Dan’s head slowly turns, and he meets Ross’s shit-eating expression with a cold gaze, his lips pressed firmly in a tight line. There’s a still, quiet moment where Dan brushes off the felt darts that now litter the edge of the couch.

Then Arin, from his spot by the game shelf, bursts into a tremendous fit of laughter and yells, “Run, Ross, run!” And just like that, he’s dropped the Nerf gun and is sprinting out of the room and down the hall as fast as his legs can carry him, with Dan on his heels in their tight pursuit.  

“The fuck was that for, Ross?!” Dan’s dropped the angry act, and is laughing as he runs after him. He nearly trips as Ross suddenly makes a sharp turn down another hall and bumps into the wall in the process.

The chase ends when they dart into the recording room; Dan makes a bold move to lunge and grab Ross by the arm, and catches him off guard before they’re both toppling onto the floor in a heap of tangled limbs and breathless laughter. 

“Sorry, are you okay?” Dan manages, grinning wide, and he begins to ease up off of Ross when a pair of small hands press to each of his shoulders and prevent him from doing so. Dan looks from the hands to Ross rather quizzically.

They pull him forward, further on top of the smaller male, and it’s then that Dan finally registers Ross’s flushed features, his full blown, wide eyes, and lips that are parted ever so slightly. 

He doesn’t know how it happens or who makes the first move— it’s all a dizzying blur. The one thing Dan  _does_ remember is the sheer amount of feelings he was overwhelmed with next.

Ross’s lips are a bit chapped and Dan’s are smooth, and when they meet halfway, there is no rush to it. Sure, they bump noses once or twice, but for the most part, it’s slow and organic, hesitant, as if they’re testing their boundaries. The soundproof room is filled with the soft, wet sounds of their kisses, of their shifting; Ross’s hands now rest on Dan’s back, and one of Dan’s cups Ross’s cheek.

“I fucking  _knew_ it!” Arin’s loud, sudden exclamation from behind immediately makes the startled pair sit up and jump apart. They both look up at him in wide-eyed, silent horror, and in seconds, Arin has bounded out of the room to pester Barry about the five bucks he now owed him. The “Are Ross and Dan Gay as Shit?” bet was now off, and Arin had triumphantly won. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> have a prompt/headcanon/au you wanna see me write about? [make sure to send it here! ](http://www.xtrachocolatechips.tumblr.com/ask)


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Anonymous asked:** _**for a prompt um would you write some shipbomb where arin starts getting jelly @ brian spending so much time w dan when they record nsp**_

“Does he— is that _really_ the sound of him snoring?”

“Yep. Every night at 9:30 exactly. He’s like a fucking rock. You gotta—” He’s giggling because Arin’s started to laugh on the other line, “—you gotta really slap him to get him awake, I swear. I could scream in his ear and he would still be snoring like a sick elephant.”

“Like a sick elephant!” Arin parrots, and that only helps him to further descend into hysterics. The mere sound of his laughter brings a sleepy smile to Dan’s face, and he surveys the quiet lights of nighttime Portland, Oregon through the window while patiently waiting for Arin to calm himself. He’s wandering the little den of the hotel room aimlessly— for some reason, he finds it too challenging to simply sit somewhere when he’s on the phone with his boyfriend.

“He’s the background noise to my dreams,” Dan says once Arin’s laughter has dissolved into muted giggles, “and he sleep-farts too. It’s not as bad as you, though. You’re the king of sleep-farts.”

“Aw, thanks dude. It means a lot to me when you say that.”

“Also, when he kisses me, it always tastes like black coffee and sarcasm.”

“What do I taste like?”

Dan ponders it for a moment. “McDonald’s and quick wit. Sometimes with a little bit of introversion thrown in there.”

“Mm, introversion. My favorite flavor.”

“Besides umami, of course. You can’t forget that.”

They laugh some more; Dan envisions Arin in bed with one hand holding his phone to his ear, and the other clutching his stomach as he curls on his side to laugh. 

“I miss you,” Arin confesses softly once he’s quieted down again, “like… a lot.”

“I miss you too, dude.” Dan is sincere as ever, and Arin can clearly hear it in his voice. “I’m going through cuddle withdrawals.”

“Babe, the only thing you do during the 3% of time you’re not recording with Brian is cuddling him.”

“But you _know_ I need a good, balanced ratio of Arin to Brian cuddles— and, hey, are you jealous?” He teases, “I detected a bit of jealousy in that tone.”

“Maybe I am, but it’s totally valid because you’re spending, like, six hours together in a tiny, soundproof room with him everyday. And, I dunno, I need to be in on some of that time too. At least half of it. It’s unfair.”

“I know,” he agrees, and grows increasingly more sympathetic as he speaks. “We don’t have a lot of the album to finish left— we should be back on Sunday. I’ll make sure to sex you extra hard as soon as I get back. And then we can cuddle a bunch, maybe go on a fancy date.”

“Holy _fuck_ , you know what that reminded me of? The new Avengers movie comes out in three days, and we _need_ to fucking see it.”

“You know, by ‘fancy date’, I was thinking more along the lines of getting reservations at Olive Garden or something, but that works too.”

Arin scoffs. “I actually think I’m gonna break up with you for mentioning ‘fancy date’ and Olive Garden in the same sentence.”

Then they’re laughing again; as they wind down for the night, they continue to banter about their hectic daily lives before exchanging “I love you”s and goodbyes. After they hang up, Dan makes his way back to the bedroom and huddles under the sheets next to Brian, who now sounds like either a really sleepy hyena, or a really angry cow. Or was it a sick elephant? Fuck if he knows.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Anonymous asked:** _**I don't know if you consider this nsfw or not but for prompts, what about Barry accidentally calling Dan "Daddy" in casual conversation? Bonus if the other grumps are there, and it happens during a recording :3c**_

Arin sighs through his nose, his fingers meshing at the buttons on the controller a bit harder than they should. “No, no, I get that it was revolutionary at the time, and no one had ever seen that shit before and whatever, but it’s still fucking totally overrated. I feel like people look back on it with nostalgia glasses, and when you go back and play it, it’s honestly not as great as everyone thinks.”

“Well, yeah, but the game was still revolutionary, right? Like, I’ve never played it before, but the fact that it was a huge hit just means people are gonna be really passionate about it, so of  _course_ they’re gonna be upset when you shit on it.” Dan’s sentence is punctuated with a little laugh; he stretches the rest of the length of the couch so his legs are draped across Barry’s lap. Arin glances at the two and makes a scowling noise.

“Don’t fucking do the cute, cuddling gay shit while I’m talking about Ocarina of Time. And I’m not  _shitting_  on the game, I’m  _criticizing_ it. There’s a difference.”

Barry finally sees it fit to chime in, “I think— I think what Daddy’s trying to say is like— it was new, so it was really big, but because it was new, it was also experimental. So yeah, not everything is perfect in it, but remember— no one had ever seen that shit before. The later 3D Zelda games try to perfect what Ocarina couldn’t do, so you can’t really hold Ocarina to the same standards as modern Zelda games.” Arin’s stopped playing the game and is staring at him, and Dan’s peering at him with wide eyes; little oblivious Barry takes the unwarranted amount of attention as a sign to continue on, “It’s like you with Mario 64. It’s shit compared to Sunshine and Galaxy, but at the time it was big because it was  _new_ and  _exciting,_ you know?” When neither of them respond, Barry looks from one to the other in confusion, and furrows his brow when he notes that Dan is flushing a bright shade of red. “Uh—”

“Barry—” They both say his name at the same, and in seconds, Arin is bursting into hysterics while Dan covers his burning face in his hands, releasing nervous giggles.

“Kevin, edit that out! Holy  _shit!_ ” Arin’s laughing so hard that he has to drop the controller and keel over to catch his breath, “B, d-did you— did you seriously just call him—”

“Freudian slip, dude, it happens,” Dan giggles, still redder than ever as he reaches to give vastly confused Barry a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. 

“That’s so fucking kinky and  _weird_ , man!” Arin gasps out, practically shaking with laughter, “Keep that in the bedroom!” He grabs hold of the controller again, unpauses the game, and manages to fathom sentences in between sporadic giggles, “W-Welcome back to Grumpcade, where Barry and Dan are gay as shit. We had to take a quick break for a sec, there. Anyway, as I was saying—”

As Arin proceeds to ramble on about Ocarina of Time’s abysmal game mechanics, Barry is practically staring Dan down with helplessly puzzled looks. Dan silently answers him by patting him on the shoulder once more, mouthing to him that he’ll tell him what he said later. 


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Anonymous asked:** _**rubberbang prompt ross and danny slow dancing!! also i love your writing a lot!!**_

Let it be known that Dan does _not_ think Ross is cute. He thinks he _can_ be, for there are occasionally sparse moments in which he will do something oddly, or look at Dan in a certain way that catches him off guard, but those are few and far between. No, for the most part, Dan is usually too annoyed with Ross to see past his pesky, sadistic exterior.

Those few cute moments, though—those are what subtly reveal why, of all his other wonderful friends at the grumpspace, Dan tends to gravitate toward Ross the most.

Take now, for instance: Ross and Dan are the only ones left working late at the office; as Ross sits at his desk, clicking through animation storyboard stills on his computer, Dan, who’s lounging on one of the couches, peers up from his laptop to watch him curiously.

Here are the things that constitute a Cute Ross Moment:

  1. Ross being unaware of the fact that he is unintentionally being cute, like how now, he doesn’t even realize that he’s swaying his head to the steady beat of the Whitney Houston song blaring out of the Dan’s iPhone (courtesy of his 80s playlist on Spotify) whilst humming the lyrics under his breath,
  2. Ross having some sort of uncharacteristic look about him—which is a serious one in this case, and Dan thinks it’s amusing because he’s told Dan countless times before that he’d never let him hear his terrible singing voice, and yet under oblivious circumstances, he’s accidentally done so anyway while bearing an unfitting, intent expression to boot,
  3. Ross not knowing that Dan is watching him.



And even though it’s Ross who’s being an adorable nerd, it’s always Dan who seems to get the most flustered because of it. When Ross feels the older man tapping at his shoulder from behind, he breaks away from his computer screen to swivel around in his chair and look up at him questioningly—Dan’s standing there with his hip jutted out a little, clearly trying too hard to be casual, and his face is a bit pink as he holds out his hand to Ross, inviting him to take it. Something swimming in his eyes is teasing, and his knowing smile carefully toes the line between flirtatious and mischievous. What makes the whole moment hilarious is that Dan, like always, is trying his best to be as suave as possible in his flirty behavior, but his efforts somehow manage to all go down the drain the second he opens his mouth and lets a hint of that dorkiness shine through:

“I didn’t know they had Whitney Houston in Australia,” is word-for-word the first thing he says, making Ross crack a wide, tired smile before he reaches out for his hand. Dan instantly pulls him out of his chair and into his lanky arms, wounding them around Ross’s waist, while Ross weaves his arms around his neck, having to strain on his toes a bit to compensate for their height difference.

As Dan holds Ross’s sleepy gaze, he decides that the best words that describe his expression right then are blissful, and content. It also breaks rule number three of Cute Ross Moments, which Dan finds kind of endearing—Ross is still being cute, even though Dan is focusing all of his attention on him.

“Why can’t you be normal,” Ross quietly murmurs, “and like, actually ask me to dance instead of saying dumb things.” He shifts his arms from the space around Dan’s neck to where they enclose the taller male in a warm embrace around his back. In this manner, he can comfortably rest his head on his shoulder whilst Dan leads them in a gentle, swaying rhythm around the little semicircle that all the grump desks make. “It would help you get laid at the club, or something. I think.”

Gently running his fingers along the curve of Ross’s sides, Dan giggles softly, his breath hot on the smaller male's ear. “I’ll have you know that I’ve picked up plenty of attractive ladies at the club, thank you very much.”

“I dunno, man.”  He feels radiant in Dan’s hold, feels dizzy and happy between his soothing voice and Whitney Houston’s powerful one serenading them in the background. “Your flirting skills are pretty terrible.”

“They are?”

“Mmhmm. You try to be all sexy, but like... the moment you open your mouth, it all goes to shit. ” The further he loses himself in Dan’s rhythm, the more Ross has to fight keep his heavy eyes from fluttering close. "You’re too much of a giant dork.”

“Which is a weird thing to say, considering what we’re doing right now. Y’know, dancing and all. With my hands almost touching your butt.”

“Yeah, well,” at last, Ross slowly draws away so that he’s looking Dan right in the eye again, the tiniest of grins tugging at his lips, “I like dorks.” And that’s all he really needs to say to get Dan to lean down just as he leans up so that they can kiss, slow and gentle, without a care for anything else in that moment save for each other.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: lots of blood and angst-yness ahead :P
> 
>  **Anonymous asked:** _**could you do anything shipgrumps with vampires/? any ship is fine!**_

Ross’s face is white, neck is pale, sweat beading on his body in a million tiny bullets, and all Barry can do is watch in silent horror.

When the convulsing starts, he grabs Ross’s frail hand in his own and grips on for dear life because he knows how fucking _crippling_ it is, knows how _excruciating_ it feels when the muscle spasms begin; Barry’s been severely drained only twice in his century-old life, but the agonizing sensations still come rushing back to him as he watches Ross twitch and groan on the couch.

Then, Ross’s eyes are suddenly wide open, blood-red and spurring frantically in their sockets, and he arches his back high off the cushions, gapes his mouth open wide with noiseless moans. In the dark of the room, Barry can distinctly make out Ross’s glinting white fangs as he reels back his head and gasps for something, _anything_ , and he swears he’s keeping himself together—he’s always had to be the stronger one, it’s been his role in their relationship since the very beginning—until they lock gazes, and that’s when everything starts to fall apart.

Whilst he and Ross hold on to their lingering eye contact, tears, hot and heavy, are biting at the corners of Barry’s eyes; Ross has been crying too, for patches of wet are already staining the tips of his cheeks as his body continues to move against his will.

A constant stream of three words swims through Barry’s mind now: _Please don’t die,_ in varying volumes and intensities, filtering more quickly in tune to the erratic pulsing of his heart, _please don’t die, please don’t die, pleasedon’tdie._ His mouth is devoid of moisture, voice cracks more than he would’ve liked as it comes out of his trembling lips as, “Ross,” one beat, two beats, “ _p-please_ , just _drink from me.”_

And then there’s these two prime seconds in which Ross just gets the most vividly defeated, broken look in his eyes before he has Barry crashing down backwards onto the floor, sinking his teeth deep into the deft flesh between his shoulder and neck.

It’s just as searing as he remembers, and he’s felt worse in his lifetime, so it’s nothing he’s not used to—but the fact that it’s _Ross_ this time, Ross and all of his lanky mannerisms as he bends ravenously over Barry and sucks his life away—that’s what messes with him the most. Barry’s shaking hands fumble to hold themselves at Ross’s back, and in return, Ross gripes blindly at Barry’s face, chest, and neck, not knowing what to grip on to or what he’s even grabbing at. He’s letting out these muffled, guttural noises that can only be described as purely animalistic, relishing in the sustenance that’s flowing from Barry to himself in such a selfish, primal way that it terrifies Barry, paralyzes and numbs him until he can barely feel it anymore. And yet he can’t stop himself from rambling on baseless encouragements, _“C’mon baby, that’s it, just like that,”_ even though the sensation of what once felt like burning heat surging out of him has since been replaced with a dull, lingering ache centered on the junction of his neck; it persists for what feels like hours later, when Ross’s sucking slows to a gradual halt, and he draws away with his entire mouth and chin dyed crimson, dripping crimson, with thin strings of it still connecting his teeth to the glaring, open bite wounds in Barry’s neck.  

He twitches and trembles there, just hovering over Barry and surveying the pale, bloody mess he’s made of him. As the weight of what he’s just done dawns on him, his expression goes blank.

Red is dribbling from the underside of Ross’s jaw to the hem of his shirt now, and some of it drops onto Barry’s. They’re gazing at one another in varying degrees of shock and unrest, panting hard, wading in their own separate regrets before Ross lets out an off-pitch, breathy, “I’m s-so _sorry_ ,” while his face begins to crumple up and tears well in his piercing, blue, bloodshot eyes. In a mere instant, Barry is sitting up so that he can gather the younger vampire in his arms; the gentle words of consolation he begins to shower Ross with contradict his conscience, which is now tearing him apart with regret for ever even wanting to turn Ross into one of his own kind in the first place.


End file.
